Blades of Time

We've all experienced those bland hack-and-slash adventure games. Blades of Time enters the fray to fix those mundane mechanics by offering a few novel ideas into the mix. It strives to build the perfect storm of character appeal, innovative gameplay while maintaining the status quo of the hack-and-slash genre. It seems ambitious but worth a look.

Blades of Time pulls in its players by offering a lusty protagonist but keeps them reigned in with the variety of combat, puzzles, and narrative. On the surface, it does look like the injection of life that the hack-and-slash genre needs. But is Blades of Time going to be able to make its ambitious mechanics work seamlessly? Only one way to find out.

If Only I Could Turn Back Time

Throw yourself into the world of Blades of Time, and what you'll get is a visual and mechanical feast. The environments look gorgeous and perfectly suit the gameplay of a general hack-and-slash game. It's the innovative additions to the mechanics that serve as a point of interest throughout the game. Mainly because they tend to work in some places, and others not so much.

Throughout the rich world of Blades of Time, you'll be presented with a 'time rewind' mechanic to help approach puzzles and obstacles in the game. The skill tree is also extended to assist heroine Ayumi battle foes in the most stylish and efficient ways possible. Where the game starts to fall down is the wealth of options weighing on gameplay.

The graceful combat, intriguing puzzles, and innovation are hindered by a control schematic that is unreliable at best. Players will get frustrated not being able to execute the moves they want to complete tasks and seamlessly battle enemies. The variety is fantastic, but perhaps there can be too much of a good thing?

By no means is Blades of Time a revolutionary entry into the hack-and-slash genre - but it is one to admire for its creativity. Ultimately players will face the inevitable mundaneness that the genre brings. Though it's spiced up enough to keep you immersed and engaged for a little bit longer than most offerings do. A worthy entry, but not one that's going to make you desperate to play.

Best Kept in the Holster

Blades of Time is legions better than its spiritual predecessor X-Blades. If that kind of game appealed to you, then you will be thrilled with what this offering will deliver to the table. The ambition is great, but it's a shame that gameplay is ultimately clunky against the great ideas and creative mechanics.

Pros:

• Innovative hack-and-slash mechanics
• Variety of skills and abilities to unlock
• Generally satisfying combat

Cons:

• Battles are hindered by unreliable controls
• The thin narrative doesn't do the gameplay any justice
• The game might be too lewd for a general audience